Against the Ropes
Page 94

Oh God. “You don’t want to do that, honey. He’s done with you. He’s moved on. You’re just going to embarrass yourself and get hurt in the process.”
“I need closure,” she snaps. “I need to understand what went wrong. How could he choose that skinny society bitch over me?”
“You hurt him.”
“I didn’t mean to,” she says quietly.
I fiddle with my first aid kit, repacking things that don’t need packing. “Couldn’t you go another night? Maybe when you haven’t been drinking all afternoon? Max and I could come with you.”
“I’m going now. I need to get it over with.”
I ball my skirt in my fist. “You can’t go there alone. It’s dangerous. What if Jake isn’t there?”
She groans into the phone. “Seriously? You worry too much. I’ll go in, see if he’s there. If he is, I’ll talk to him and leave. I’m not sticking around for the fights. And it’s not like I’m going alone to Ghost Town. It’s an upscale residential neighborhood. What could possibly happen?”
“Something bad enough to cause Max to make me promise never to go there again.”
Amanda snorts a laugh. “If Max had his way, he would probably wrap you in cotton and lock you up so nothing could ever happen to you. He takes overprotectiveness to the extreme.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“Just sayin’.”
“If I wanted to do something dangerous, he wouldn’t stop me,” I lie. “We have an open relationship. We would discuss it and he would understand my point of view.”
“I thought I was the inebriated person in this conversation,” she laughs. Amanda knows me too well to be fooled. “Have a nice evening surrounded by hot, sweaty men.”
“Wait,” I bark into the phone. “I’ll come with you. Promise you won’t go in until I get there.”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“I’m not leaving my best friend to wander drunk into a dangerous fight club looking for an altercation with her ex.”
“You’re so sweet,” she sighs. “I remember seeing a bus stop about half a block away. I’ll wait for you there. DO NOT tell Max where you are going. I don’t want him to tip off Jake.”
“But—”
“If you tell him, don’t bother coming. If I find out Jake skipped out because you couldn’t keep a secret, I’ll be so mad at you…”
My heart sinks. “Just promise you won’t go in without me.”
“Pinky promise.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
***
“Max?” I knock on the door to his office and peek inside. Max points to the phone in his hand and waves me in.
I take a seat on the big, comfy leather chair in front of his desk and wait for him to finish his call. His office reminds me of his suite upstairs—polished-wood floors, exposed-brick walls, modern fittings, and the big oak desk covered in D-rings. Only the paintings on the wall behind him don’t fit with the wood and stone decor. Both are framed tribal prints, one red and one green. They remind me of his tattoos.
“Minx. What’s up?” Max asks after he finishes his call.
I bite my lip and stare at the floor. The lie I had prepared sours on my tongue. I don’t want to lie to Max, but I can’t let Amanda go into the Geek Club alone. Maybe I can fudge it.
“What’s wrong?” Max voice drops, and I look up just as his brow furrows.
“Amanda needs me,” I say in a rush. “She’s about to do something crazy. I know this is unprofessional, and I would never normally ever ask—”
“Go, baby. I’ll find someone to cover for you.”
My tension lifts and I exhale the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Aren’t you going to ask where or why?”
Max grins. “I trust you. I can be reasonable, except when it comes to your safety.”
My lungs tighten. I could have dealt with angry, shouting Max, but his kind understanding is almost too much too bear. I am an awful, horrible person. I am betraying his trust. He deserves better than me.
I push myself up and ’round his desk. “Thank you.” I press a kiss to his forehead, but before I can turn away, he sweeps me into his lap.
“That’s all I get?” he teases, and his dark eyes warm. “I suffer through an afternoon of silence and manage to restrain myself when my girl wants to disappear on a mysterious errand, and all I get is a kiss on the forehead?”
“Maybe you get a kiss on the cheek too.” I brush my lips over his cheek, scratchy with his five o’clock shadow and smelling deliciously of cologne.
Max frowns and twists his lips. “Hmmm.”
“Maybe you get a kiss here too.” I trace the outline of his lips with the tip of my tongue and nibble and suck his bottom lip. When he threads his fingers through my hair to pull me closer, I press my lips against his and dip my tongue into his warmth. Max moans into my mouth. A hot surge of need rushes through me.
My phone rings and I look over at my purse on the chair. What if Amanda decided not to wait?
“I’d better go.” I push myself away but Max holds me firm.
“I might need more convincing.” He kisses me so hard and deep, my toes curl.
My phone rings again, and I wiggle off his lap. “That’s probably Amanda.” I race over to the chair, grab my phone on the last ring, and accept the call. “Amanda. Don’t you dare go without me,” I bark into the receiver.